Hagley Theatre Company is in full swing for the year with company members fully immersed in their dedicated performing arts training.

They have been learning character creation techniques, writing original material, staging major productions and so much more. Some of our wonderful tutors paint a picture of the term-that-was through their eyes. Read on!

Richard Bell – Acting for Screen

The screen acting course has started well this year. Both year groups have spent multiple days working with the NZ Broadcasting School at Ara shooting scenes, and then some of our actors were cast in the same schools' short film projects with great success. The first years have been concentrating on foundation techniques to break down scripts and prepare themselves for natural screen personas and the second years have been developing that at higher level and working on action scenes.

Brendon Bennetts – Scriptwriting

This term in Scriptwriting we have been trying out different approaches to writing 1 minute scripts for the upcoming Hagley Bytes season. It has been a delight to see such weird and wonderful ideas generated through devising, character work, or drawing on real life experiences. I can’t wait to see them on stage!

Cameron Mattox – Artistic Director

Term 2 always signals us to present major play seasons to the public. For me personally, After Life, adapted by Jack Thorne from Hirokazu Kore-eda's film, was my final play for the company after 32 years of being Artistic Director. One of the most pleasing aspects of this very successful season was how the students approached the play and eventually performed it. They showed dedication, passion and enjoyment, all of which is what the company is about. Knowing that my time with the company is rapidly coming to an end, I savour these times and know that I have instilled an atmosphere of support and caring within the company whānau.

As we lost our much loved “Open Stage” on the main campus, we have embraced our new home of the last few years, the Open Stage Studios at Champion Street. This has allowed the company to have a home and be effective in Performing Arts training in Aotearoa. I do hope when the move back to the main campus comes, that we continue with the standard my tutors and I have set.

Until then, we have a rich year planned at Champion Street, including our current production. Presented by Hagley Theatre Company and directed by Rachael Schönberger, At Sea, Staring Up, by Finegan Kruckemeyer, traces the inner and outer journeys of five distinct and diverse characters, motivated by love. Set over three continents and one vast ocean this richly poetic play weaves their stories together in an innovative and thought provoking way. A visually stunning set created by Rachael using physical theatre, complemented by an original soundtrack composed by ex-Hagley College student Reilly Mullen, and props created by Hard Materials teacher Colin Powick, made this play beautiful to watch. This production plays until Friday 30 June, tickets $20 from sr@hagley.school.nz. Come along for a great night out and to be part of the HTC community. We look forward to sharing our mahi with you!